Was former BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins actually right about tablets? While we laughed at Heins’ prediction last year that tablets would be dead in just a few years, there’s now some evidence to suggest that he might have been onto something. In an interview with Re/code, Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly says that tablet sales at his stores have been absolutely plummeting this year while PC sales have actually experienced a rebound in the wake of Windows XP’s demise.

“Tablets boomed and now are crashing,” Joly tells Re/code. “The volume has really gone down in the last several months. But I think the laptop has something of a revival because it’s becoming more versatile. So, with the two-in-ones, you have the opportunity to have both a tablet and laptop, and that’s appealing to students in particular.”
—Brad Reed, Former BlackBerry CEO’s bold prediction might actually be coming true
The era of tablets is over? I say no fucking way. Especially for non-professionals who don’t need all the extra complexity that comes with laptops.
Only time will tell.Update: It always helps to read the source of the information you’re reacting to.
So here’s what Walt Mossberg at Re/Code asked Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly:You said the tablet had “crashed.” Do you believe it’s going away?

Yeah, “crashed” is a strong word. So, the tablets have been an unbelievable phenomenon. I don’t think there’s a category that ever took off so quickly and so big in the history of tech.

The issue has then been that, once you have a tablet of a certain generation, it’s not clear that you have to move on to the next generation.
This I agree with this 100%.
Last year I upgraded to an iPad 3 from an iPad 2, and despite the lower resolution screen, I was ok with my 2. I don’t want to have to upgrade my iPad every year.
My iPhone? Now that’s a different story. My iPhone is much more integral to my daily life than my iPad. I also don’t expect as much from my iPad. I use it mostly for reading, watching videos/movies and surfing the Web.

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